Military Review English Edition July-August 2016 | Page 145

BOOK REVIEWS

into successful independent states. Wars in the region
are rare, in contrast with other parts of the world.
Goodwin leaves us pondering whether Spain truly
declined because in many ways it did not. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Spain and its empire
were peaceful, stable, and relatively prosperous, and its
colonial society more civilized than the contemporary
British colonies in North America. Perhaps it did not
really decline but suffered under the perception of
decline. Perhaps we should be asking more questions
about this portion of the past.

Lewis Bernstein, PhD, Woodbridge, Virginia

FATAL RIVALRY

Flodden, 1513: Henry VIII, James IV and the
Battle for Renaissance Britain
George Goodwin, W.W. Norton & Company,
New York, 2013, 320 pages

The Battle of Flodden is the next strategic-level event to mark a functional shift in the balance of
power in England in the sixteenth century, following
the Battle of Towton in 1461. The latter was one of
the bloodiest engagements in English history and a
landmark event that changed the fortunes of kings and
lords alike. In the Battle of Towton, however, the primary leadership in both camps were English. This review of the successor engagement of Flodden makes the
transition to one of international significance and open
conflict between opposing nations, with an effect felt
across the channel into mainland Europe. As a reviewer
for George Goodwin’s Fatal Colours, I would be remiss
not to highlight this salient point and true paradigm
shift. The outcome of this engagement decided whether
Scotland would be more of a vassal state or an independent and autonomous kingdom.
Fatal Rivalry provides the reader with a view of
gamesmanship of kings and lords during times of
societal upheaval, changes in allegiances (marital or
otherwise), and military industriousness. The Battle of
Flodden, for which the author painstakingly leads the
reader up to the climactic end point, addresses several
of these ideas. Setting the stage is critical to understanding the notable differences as well as the similarities in combatants. The Scottish king, James IV, was
well spoken and well respected, and he had leveraged
MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2016

all his diplomatic skills in uniting a fractured and often
disassociated nation. He was akin to Henry the VII,
king of England, in the preceding years and competed with him on more of a Renaissance stage then a
militaristic one. However, as the sun set on Henry the
VII, and his son, Henry the VIII took the thrown, a
different position dominated the political landscape.
Antagonism and liberal exercise of authority, primary
in the English camp, led to the eventual escalation of
hostilities with James IV.
The Scots crossed the border with over forty thousand men, the largest army ever assembled at the time,
and with the most advanced siege craft. They captured
English strongpoints in
days and laid the foundation for their future use.
Additionally, the Scots
used pikemen tactics
taken from the Swiss,
utilizing these as well as
their scouts and locals
all along the borderlands
for information and
operational security.
This army faced a much
more traditional force of
English that numbered
around thirty-two thousand. It was divided into two
echelons to meet its objectives on the battlefield, primarily attempting to secure the high ground. Whether a ruse
or crafty stratagem, the Scottish king was enticed out of
an excellent defensive position and forced to occupy another, or so he believed. This undid his advantage in siege
craft and cannon—which could not easily be reset and
aimed—accounting for their minimal use in the engagement that followed. Using pikemen was a good concept;
however, in execution, the Scots did a poor job of reading
the terrain, understanding the need for inertia in this
type of weapon, and were bogged down in a muddy
marsh, rendering their weapons and tactics moot.
The earl of Surrey and his counterpart lords on the
English side took advantage of the situation. Although
outnumbered and lacking in provisions and supplies,
they used their bowmen and bladed forces to good
effect, to include their killing the king and thousands of
Scottish soldiers. As the armies melted away at the conclusion, the whole of the continent, as well as mainland
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